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K. S. BLANCHARD.

1 UAR COUPLING. r BI 5.789. Patented Oct. 2, 1883.

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- UNITED STATES KIRK s. BLANCHARD, or CLARENDON, NEW YORK.

PATENT, OFFICE.

CAR-COUPLING,

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 285,789,, dated October2, 1883.

A Application filed February 24, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, KIRK S. BLANOHARD, ofClarendon, Orleans county, New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improve ment in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby de clare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and

exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, showing theends of two cars with the coupling attached. Fig. 2 is alongitudinalvertical section of one-half of .the coupling on an enlargedscale. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 4 is a front elevationof the leverwork for raising and lowering the draw-bar. Fig. 5 is a planof the lever-work for raising the draw-bar. Fig. 6 is an' elevation ofthe rear end of the drawbar, showing the means for adjusting the spring.

My improvement relates to automatic car couplings which engage by meansof two hooked heads that spring past each other as the cars cometogether.

The invention consists of a fiat spring on the under side of thedraw-bar, adjustable up and down by means hereinafter described in moveup and down vertically, and the boxes rest against springs by which theshock is broken when the couplings strike together.

C is a flat spring, attached permanently at one end to the under side ofthe draw-bar frame or support D, theopposite end of the spring beingfree, and provided with an open slot d at itsend, as shown in the bottomview,

E is a stirrup or loop, which receives the draw-bar passing through thesame, and slides up and down vertically in grooves f f in the sides ofthe drawbar frame. The bottom of the stirrup is connected with the endof the spring by a T-headed lug, 71, which rests in the slot d of thespring, so that as the stirrup is moved up or down the spring will becorrespondingly deflected or bent, and will tend 5 5 The spring isadjusted higher or beneath the draw-bar, between which crossbarsreststhe rear end of the spring.

1' 0' and 0" 1" are nuts on the bolts at top and bottom of .thedraw-bar, by which the bolts are'held in place.

a n and a u are nuts on the bolts, respect ively above and below the twocross-bars p 1). By turning these bolts up or down it will be seen thatthe cross-bars, and with them the spring clamped between them, can beraised or lowered to any desired position.

G G are two levers, pivoted at U to th'e end of the car, and provided,respectively, with links m m, which connect with an eye, a, on the topof the stirrup E. Each lever and its link is separate and distinct fromthe other lever and its link, so that the lever on either side may beoperated to raise or depress the coupling-head. The ends of the leversextend out even with the sides of the car, so as to be easily reached,and are held at any adjustment 8 5 by pins '0 on their back, whichengage with, holes in segment-plates 10. By depressing the levers thedraw-head will be thrown up, and by raising them it will thrown down.\Vhen the cars come together, the draw-heads will ride one over theother and engage automatically and without any attention. To uncouplethe cars, the lovers on one car are thrown up, which depresses thedraw-head on that car,

and the levers on "the other car are thrown down, which elevates thedraw-head on that car, and in this condition the cars will u'ncouplewhen the train is started.

The great advantage in this invention is in the use of the spring on theunder side of the draw-bar frame, adjustable to different heights,

and connected with the stirrup by the lug h,

by which means the spring and stirrup act together to bring the draw-barto an equilibrium and hold the draw-bar extended, at the same timegiving the draw-bar great elasticity, and allowing it the proper rangeof motion both up and down, to ride over or under the other draw-head inthe act of coupling. The tendency of the spring is to always keep thedrawbar extended horizontally. should sag or get out of place atanytime, the spring can be adjusted higher, so as to bring it to theproper position. The spring, adjustable by the means above described,forms an important feature of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. I11 a car-coupling, the flatspring G, 011 the under side of the draw-bar frame, adjustable up ordown vertically, in combination with the stirrup E, embracing thedraw-bar, and the levers G G, connected with the stir If the draw-barrup by links, as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the spring 0, attached atits front end to the stirrup E, of the bolts 70 70, attached to thedraw-bar frame, the cross-bars p p, resting on the bolt and clamping thespring between them, and the nuts a a and u u, resting on the boltsabove and below the cross-bars, and capable of adjusting the springvertically, as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

KIRK S. BLANCHARD.

Witnesses R. F. Oscoon, J ACOB SPAHN.

